War on I-4

Founded in 1956 and 1963, respectively, the University of South Florida and the University of Central Florida are located 98 miles away from each other. The schools' distance, combined with their athletic programs concurrent establishment and rise to NCAA Division I helped create a natural rivalry between the two schools. The first meeting between the Florida Technological University Knights of the Pegasus (UCF)[5] and the University of South Florida Golden Brahmans that both agree happened (USF claims the schools played two baseball games in 1971 that UCF doesn't recognize) was a 1972 men's basketball game in Tampa. The Golden Brahmans won this game, 115–96.[6] Since that game, USF and UCF have played each other in eight or nine other sports, depending on which schools' records are gone by.[6]

On September 21, 2016, both schools announced the official recognition of the “War On I-4” rivalry series. The schools compete each school year in 14 sports for bragging rights, with each sports team's record counting equally toward a final tally for each program. The winner each year will take possession of a large trophy shaped like the iconic I-4 road sign, which will be displayed on their campus for the following year. One side of the trophy reads "Tampa" and features USF's logo while the other reads "Orlando" and features UCF's logo. The winner of the annual Thanksgiving weekend football clash receives a similarly shaped "War On I-4" trophy.[3][4]

Discussions about scheduling a game between the Knights and Bulls began shortly after South Florida fielded its first NCAA Division I-AA team in 1997.[18][19] Supporters suggested such a rivalry could help generate interest and revenue for both burgeoning teams. The prospect became more serious when the Bulls entered Division I-A in 2001 and was very popular among fans, but as it would be a non-conference series, difficulties arose. UCF had overbooked its future schedules and would have to break commitments.[18] Meanwhile, South Florida officials worried that their young program stood to take in less revenue from a home-and-away series against UCF than it would with an additional home game on the schedule.[20] Serious planning for a series did not commence until 2003.[18]

By 2003, serious discussions resumed as both schools had joined conferences – South Florida joined Conference USA (C-USA) in 2001, while UCF joined the Mid-American Conference (MAC) in 2002.[18] That year, the schools' athletics directors met and agreed to schedule games for the 2005 and 2006 seasons.[18][21] Subsequently, South Florida joined the Big East, an Automatic Qualifying conference, in 2005,[22] while UCF joined C-USA the same year.[23] The Bulls won both games, which both drew crowds over 45,000. The series was extended for 2007 and 2008 as part of an agreement with C-USA that the Bulls play a member of the conference annually for five years.[21][24] South Florida won these games as well, with a 64–12 blowout in 2007 and 31–24 overtime thriller in 2008. South Florida declined to schedule further games in the series, indicating it wished to pursue more competitive and high profile opponents.[25][26] During the series hiatus South Florida would go on to play opponents such as Florida, Florida State, Miami, Clemson, and Notre Dame; beating all except for Florida at least once.

The two schools discussed scheduling more games over the next several years, including a failed proposal by South Florida to play at the Citrus Bowl in 2011.[27][28][29] In addition, a possible head-to-head matchup at the 2009 St. Petersburg Bowl failed to materialize. Bowl and city officials decided against pitting the two nearby schools, as they preferred at least one distant team so that more out of town fans would book hotel rooms in the area.[30] UCF instead faced Rutgers in the game.

UCF was admitted to join USF in the Big East Conference in 2011 and was set to begin playing there in the 2013–2014 school year.[31] Conference realignment turned the Big East into the American Athletic Conference prior to the fall 2013 season. For the first time, both schools were part of the same conference, and the rivalry resumed as a regular conference match beginning with the 2013 season.[32][33] The games have been scheduled for Thanksgiving weekend.[34][35] In 2013, UCF pulled off a late 23–20 win against the Bulls in Orlando to earn its first victory against South Florida.[36][37] In May 2014, The American announced that beginning with the 2015 season, when the conference formally split into divisions, both schools would be a member of the newly created East Division.[38] Therefore, the two teams would be scheduled to play one another every season, rotating the home field annually.

In 2015, the game was played on Thanksgiving night, and in 2016, the game was played on the Saturday of that week. However, in most years it has been scheduled for Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving.

Since 2005, the Bulls and Knights have played twelve times. The series is tied 6–6. The game has been played in two cities and three stadiums: Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida, and Camping World Stadium and the Bounce House in Orlando, Florida. The series is tied 3–3 in both Orlando and Tampa. UCF holds a 6–2 series lead in conference games against USF.

Bold dates indicate conference games

Italic dates indicate games that count toward the trophy series

A crowd of 45,139, second largest at the time in South Florida's eight year football history, watched the Bulls build a 21–0 halftime lead on the strength of a relentless running attack that finished with 326 yards. Andre Hall ran for 155 yards and scored two touchdowns to help South Florida beat UCF 31–14.

UCF was held to 45 yards rushing and was shut out until Joe Burnett returned a third quarter punt 60 yards to the South Florida 4, setting up Steven Moffett's touchdown run on the next play. Moffett also threw a 9 yard TD pass to Brandon Marshall late in the fourth quarter.

One play after Hall nearly scored on a 17 yard run, Pat Julmiste added South Florida's last TD on 1 yard quarterback sneak late in the third quarter. Kyle Bronson added a fourth quarter field goal to make it 31–7.

South Florida freshman quarterback Matt Grothe threw for 302 yards, eclipsing Marquel Blackwell's 239 yard game against New Haven in 1999 for the program single game passing record. Grothe also ran for 73 yards, second most by a freshman quarterback in South Florida history behind only his own record of 82 from earlier that season.

The Bulls defeated the cross state Knights 64–12 in front of a home crowd announced at 65,948. The Bulls held the Knights to just 145 total yards and Kevin Smith, who came in as the nation's leading rusher at 172 yards per game, to just 55 yards. It would be the only time during the season that a defense held Smith to under 100 yards. South Florida gained 543 total yards—over three times as many as UCF—while holding the ball three fewer minutes than the Knights. UCF scored their only offensive points—a Kyle Israel rush for a touchdown, and a field goal—in the first half. UCF and South Florida would also exchange safeties.

In what was the final meeting of the War on I-4 for many years, the visiting Bulls downed the Knights 31–24 in a closely contested overtime battle. With UCF trailing 24–10 late in the 4th quarter, quarterback Michael Greco threw two touchdown passes in less than a minute, including passes of 13 yards to Corey Rabazinski and 31 yards to Rocky Ross, to tie the game at 24 with 1:40 remaining in regulation. South Florida won the game when they stopped UCF on a 4th and short in overtime.

UCF debuted their black helmets for the first and only time for this matchup (worn with gold jerseys and black pants). Despite turning the ball over five times, the Knights found a way to earn their first victory in the rivalry against South Florida. Running back Storm Johnson fumbled the ball on UCF's first two drives, including a drop at the Bulls 10 yard line. Trailing with under five minutes left in regulation, QB Blake Bortles found WR Breshad Perriman for a 52 yard go ahead touchdown reception. With 1:20 left in the fourth quarter and charging down the field, South Florida quarterback Mike White was intercepted by CB Jordan Ozerities, and he returned the ball 52 yards to the Bulls 37 yard line. The Knights ran out the clock for the victory.

After a scoreless first quarter, Justin Holman led the Knights on a 17 play, 80 yard scoring drive to open the second quarter. The Knights held the Bulls offense to a three and out on the next series, which was followed by an 8 play, 73 yard scoring drive by UCF capped off by a 21 yard run from Rannell Hall. UCF held South Florida to 200 yards of total offense, 5 yards rushing, and forced three turnovers on downs. The Bulls missed a field goal and were not able to convert on three UCF turnovers. This was the first time that South Florida had been shut out at home.

After scoring a field goal on their first drive, the Knights were shut out by the Bulls defense. The Bulls held UCF to 203 yards of total offense and caught two interceptions. Scoring 44 unanswered points and gaining 455 offensive yards, South Florida handed UCF their twelfth loss of the season, guaranteeing their second winless campaign since 2004. For the first time since 1995, UCF wore black jerseys and black pants. USF, on the other hand, completed one of the biggest single season turnarounds in college football history to finish 8–4 after a 1–3 start. This was the first, and to date, only time the game has been held on Thanksgiving night.

The 2016 game was the first official War on I-4 football game and both teams entered the game having already secured bowl eligibility (UCF was 6–5 and USF was 9–2), for the first time since the 2007 meeting. Following the game, USF was ranked in both the AP and Coaches poll.

The 13th ranked Knights welcomed the 22nd ranked Bulls (9–1) to Spectrum Stadium with the winner of the game claiming the American Athletic Conference East Division title and a spot in the 2017 American Athletic Conference Football Championship Game. The game was the first ranked matchup in the rivalry.[40][41] The game quickly turned into an offensive shootout, with a total of 1,186 yards of offense from both teams, including a school record 605 yards from USF quarterback Quinton Flowers.[42] The game came down to the wire, with UCF taking an eight point lead (following an earlier missed PAT from USF) with 2:21 left in the game.[43] USF then tied the game with an 83 yard touchdown and a two point conversion with 1:41 left.[43] On the ensuing kickoff, UCF's Mike Hughes returned the kickoff for a 95 yard touchdown,[44][45] giving the Knights a 49–42 lead, with 1:28 left.[43] The Bulls attempted to strike back, but Bulls tight end Mitchell Wilcox fumbled on the UCF 45 yard line, following a 10 yard catch, and UCF linebacker Chequan Burkett recovered to seal the game.[42][46] The game was called one of the best of the season.[47][48][49]

The Knights defeated the Bulls 38–10, however, the game was marred by the devastating, season ending injury to starting quarterback McKenzie Milton. Twice in the first half the Knights stopped the Bulls when they went for it on 4th down. Milton led the Knights on a 97 yard drive capped off by a 14 yard touchdown pass to Gabriel Davis, and a 7–0 lead. Early in the second quarter, facing a 3rd & 7 at the USF 30, McKenzie Milton scrambled to the right and was upended after a diving tackle by Mazzi Wilkins. Milton suffered a "traumatic" knee injury,[52] and was carted off the field and brought to Tampa General Hospital for surgery. After a lengthy delay, the game resumed with Matthew Wright kicking a 42 yard field goal for a 10–0 lead.

Darriel Mack Jr. took over at quarterback, and despite the pall cast over the game, the Knights rallied behind him to soundly defeat the Bulls. Mack threw for 81 yards in substitute, but it was the running game that took over in the second half. Greg McCrae rushed 181 yards on 16 carries, and three touchdowns. The Knights ended with 391 yard rushing, with Taj McGowan adding a touchdown in the fourth quarter.[53] The Knights clinched their second consecutive undefeated regular season on their way to their second straight win in the AAC Championship Game.

The Knights took the opening kickoff and drove 65 yards in twelve plays, including four third down conversions. Gabriel Davis made a leaping catch near the back of the endzone from Dillon Gabriel for the game's first touchdown. Early in the second quarter, Adrian Killins blasted for a 35 yard touchdown run to put UCF up 14–0. Gabriel and Davis connected for a second touchdown pass and a 21–0 lead. With under a minute remaining in the half, tempers flared as four players, two on each team, received unsportsmanlike conduct penalties. As Killins was being tackled, he grabbed the facemask of USF defensive back Nick Roberts, triggering a big scuffle. The incident came after another pregame skirmish during warm ups. Officials quickly broke things up, and a few moments later, Dylan Barnas kicked a 50 yard field goal. UCF led 24–0 at halftime.

Darriel Mack Jr. took snaps at quarterback in the second half, scoring on a 2 yard touchdown run in the third quarter. Trailing 34–7, the Bulls drove into Knights territory midway through the fourth quarter. With 5:10 remaining in regulation, facing 4th & Goal at the UCF 3 yard line, Bulls quarterback Jordan McCloud was intercepted by Eriq Gilyard at the 5 yard line. UCF ran out the clock and secured the victory.[56]

The 5–3 Knights came into Tampa as 25.5 point favorites against the 1–7 Bulls, who were missing nine players including their starting quarterback, running back, and cornerback because of COVID-19 protocols. USF wasn't deterred though, and took the opening drive 50 yards before failing to convert on a fake field goal. The USF defense forced a quick punt from the Knights, then the sides traded touchdowns. The Knights took a 14–7 lead after their next drive and never looked back. USF missed a 46 yard field goal, which led to a 2 play, 71 yard touchdown drive for UCF. After each team traded punts, USF running back Kelley Joiner fumbled near midfield which led to another UCF touchdown. The Bulls scored a touchdown of their own on their next drive, then the Knights made a field goal with nine seconds left in the first half to take a 31–14 lead into the locker room.

The Knights received the ball to start the second half, and were quickly forced into a three-and-out. The same happened to the Bulls on their next possession, and then to the Knights again. USF and UCF both scored touchdowns on each of their next two drives, putting the score at 45–28 Knights at the end of the third quarter. After a Bulls field goal, USF's Dwayne Boyles intercepted UCF quarterback Dillon Gabriel at the UCF 48 yard line, leading to a 3 play touchdown drive to put the Bulls down by seven points with just over 10 minutes left in regulation. This is the closest USF would come to stealing the lead back though, as they fumbled on their next possession leading to a UCF touchdown. The teams traded garbage time touchdowns before UCF took over with 14 seconds left, and Gabriel took a knee to run out the clock.[57]

The two schools began competing against one another in men's basketball during the 1971–1972 season and have met 42 times to date. The Bulls currently hold a 24–16 edge over the Knights, however two Knights' victories were vacated due to NCAA sanctions.[58] The 2013–2014 season marked the first time the schools would compete in the same conference, with UCF holding a 11–4 series lead in American Athletic Conference play. USF and UCF are both tied for the longest win streaks in the series with the Bulls having won nine consecutive games against their rival from 1994 to 2007, while the Knights won nine straight from 2016 to 2020.[59][60] The schools have never met in the American Athletic Conference Tournament, but they were scheduled to face each other in the 2020 edition before it was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Bold dates indicate conference games
Italic dates indicate games that count toward the trophy series

USF and UCF claim two different basketball records and results, due to when they declare the first meeting occurred. According to USF, they lead the women's basketball series 28–13, with the first meeting occurring on January 20, 1973, with a 41–30 Bulls win in Tampa.[61] According to UCF, the first meeting occurred on January 12, 1978, with USF winning 81–70 in Tampa, resulting in a 25–10 USF lead in the series.[62] USF had not lost a game in the series since the 1980–81 season until UCF beat USF on February 14, 2017, which was UCF's first victory in Tampa. South Florida won the only time the schools met in the American Athletic Conference Tournament and holds a 9–5 lead in conference play.[63][64][65]

Bold dates indicate conference games
Italic dates indicate games that count toward the trophy series

^A 2018 American Athletic Conference Tournament

USF and UCF claim different records in Men's Soccer, due to when they declare the first meeting occurred. USF claims the first meeting occurred in 1974 with USF winning 2–1, giving the Bulls a 26–7–4 lead. According to UCF the first meeting occurred in 1975 with USF winning 4–1, giving the Bulls a 25–7–4 lead. The sides have met in the NCAA Tournament twice with each team winning one of those meetings. USF won the only meeting in the American Athletic Conference Tournament and leads the series 5–3 for conference games as a whole.[72][73][74]

Bold dates indicate conference games
Italic dates indicate games that count toward the trophy series

^A 2010 NCAA Tournament

^B 2011 NCAA Tournament

^C 2016 American Athletic Conference Tournament

The first women's soccer meeting between the teams occurred in 1998 with USF winning 4–0 in Tampa. UCF currently leads the series 11–4–4 making women's soccer the only sport where the Knights lead the Bulls in the all time series. The schools have met in the American Athletic Conference Tournament four times, with South Florida leading those matches 2–0–2. In the two tournament games that ended in ties, each side advanced on penalty kicks one of those times. The series is 4–3–4 in favor of UCF for conference games between the schools.[75][76][77][78][79]

Bold dates indicate conference games
Italic dates indicate games that count toward the trophy series

^A 2013 American Athletic Conference Tournament

^B 2015 American Athletic Conference Tournament

^C 2017 American Athletic Conference Tournament

^D 2019 American Athletic Conference Tournament

The first men's tennis match took place on February 10, 1978 with South Florida winning 5–4. Men's tennis is the Bulls most successful sport against UCF, with a 34–9 all time series lead. The teams have met twice in the American Athletic Conference Men's Tennis tournament, with USF winning both times. The Bulls also lead the series 6–3 when playing the Knights in conference games.[88]

Bold dates indicate conference games
Italic dates indicate games that count toward the trophy series

^A 2017 American Athletic Conference Tournament

^B 2019 American Athletic Conference Tournament

The women's tennis teams first played on February 23, 1994 with USF sweeping the Knights 9–0 in Tampa. UCF didn't win a game against South Florida until the 9th time the schools met. South Florida holds the all time lead 19–7, but UCF won both times the schools met in the American Athletic Conference Women's Tennis Tournament. The series is tied at 4 in conference games.[89]

Bold dates indicate conference games

Italic dates indicate games that count toward the trophy series

^A 2015 American Athletic Conference Tournament

^B 2019 American Athletic Conference Tournament